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Winds heighten safety concerns for Tisigar Lake fire crews

STRONG WINDS forecast for this evening and into tomorrow could cause trees to fall in the Tisigar Lake fire area, report the Northwest Fire Information Centre today.

Winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour are expected to come from the north, and will test containment lines on the southern portion of the fire, said the centre in a release.

The Tisigar Lake Fire, started by a lightning strike about two weeks ago, is about 35 km south of the Yukon border and about 150km north of Dease Lake and has charred more than 8,500 hectares of land.

This upcoming weather increases the chance of trees falling in the area and may increase fire behaviour, the release continued.

The safety of fire crews are the priority, and crews may be removed from the fire line, said the centre.

Work by fire crews in the area mean the containment lines have had all of the fuels up to the fire guard removed, and crews have extinguished all hot spots 30 metres in, said the centre.

This means that there is nothing on the forest floor left to burn in this area, and that any smouldering areas have been cooled with water, said the centre.

If you see smoke or a fire, please report it by calling *5555 on a cell phone or toll free to1-800-663-5555. For information on wildfire activity, visit www.bcwildfire.ca or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bcforestfireinfo.

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